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Should I start Drake Maye, Bo Nix, Justin Herbert for Week 3? Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks and recommendations for the 2025 NFL season.
Navigating the QB position has gotten increasingly difficult as we approach Week 3. This past week, fantasy managers may have seen their starting QB suffer an injury. Joe Burrow (toe), Brock Purdy (toe/shoulder), and Jayden Daniels (knee) have either been ruled out or are in serious danger of missing Sunday's contest.
As a result, many have had to look to the waiver wire or turn to their QB2.
So, should fantasy managers start Maye, Nix, and Love in Week 3? Let's dive in and find out.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
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Should I Start Drake Maye for Fantasy Football?
Drake Maye was a popular late-round QB during the draft season. As a rookie, the former third overall flashed elite upside but struggled on a week-to-week basis, given the lack of offensive weapons around him. However, the Patriots signed Stefon Diggs in free agency and drafted one of the top running back prospects, TreVeyon Henderson, to bolster their skill position room.
In Week 1, Maye threw the ball 46 times but was not overly efficient, completing just 30 passes for 287 yards and 1:1 TD:INT. He added just 11 yards on the ground. However, in Week 2, the former UNC product took a significant step forward, going 19-for-23 with 230 yards and a passing score, and added 31 yards and a touchdown on 10 rushing attempts.
As a result, Maye carries intriguing low-end QB1 upside facing the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3. While the Steelers typically have one of the league's most potent defensive units, they have had a disappointing start ot the season. Through two games, the Steelers have allowed the fifth-most PPR points to opposing QBs.
During this stretch, they have faced Justin Fields and Sam Darnold, who are not among the elite group at the position.
With Diggs taking on a larger workload this past weekend and nearing "full-strength" as he is recovering from a torn ACL, and with the emergence of Kayshon Boutte as his No.2 WR, Maye is a strong QB1 in all formats and could finish Week 3 sitting with the top-10 at the position.
Drake Maye Wants to Get Stefon Diggs the Ball More https://t.co/Rkf6LblXvr
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 18, 2025
Should I Start Bo Nix for Fantasy Football?
After struggling through the first half of his rookie season, Bo Nix found his stride in the second half and was able to lead the Broncos to the postseason. Over his final 10 games, Nix averaged a stellar 25.2 PPR points per game. During this stretch, he scored 25 touchdowns while throwing just seven interceptions.
However, his sophomore season got off to a rough start. In Week 1, facing a weak Tennessee Titans defense, Nix could not find much success, going just 25-for-40 with 176 passing yards and a modest 1:2 TD:INT. He added just 18 yards with his legs on eight attempts.
Nix was able to quickly snap out of this skid by tacking up 24.3 PPR points in their Week 2 loss to the Colts. In this game, Nix threw for 206 yards with three touchdown passes and tallied 20 yards on the ground.
With Courtland Sutton serving as his proven No.1 option, and the merging of Troy Franklin, Nix appears poised to enjoy another productive campaign in Denver. In Week 3, Nix faced the Los Angeles Chargers, who sit in the middle of the pack in terms of PPR points allowed to opposing QBs.
Despite this, given how well Justin Herbert has looked and the Chargers' reliance on their passing game, there is a possibility that this game becomes quite high scoring. As a result, the Broncos could be forced to abandon their run game (given Los Angeles' dominant rushing defense) and instead, push the ball through the air
As a result, Nix carries low-end QB1 value with some risk, given the difficult matchup on paper.
Should I Start Justin Herbert for Fantasy Football?
The final QB we will look at is on the other side of this matchup between the Broncos and Chargers. While the Chargers leaned heavily on their rushing attack in 2024, they have changed their game plan to center around their franchise QB.
Through two weeks, Herbert has attempted 61 passes and completed 44 of them. During this two-game stretch, the Oregon product has averaged a stellar 280.0 passing yards per game with a perfect 5:0 TD:INT. More importantly, Herbert has totaled 63 yards with his legs.
Even though Herbert faces a potent Denver defense that has allowed the third-fewest PPR points to opposing QBs this season, given his elite wide receivers (Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, and Keenan Allen), Herbert carries QB1 upside this weekend and should be started in all formats.
Given his recent passing workload and ability to show potential with his legs, Herbert should be started in all fantasy formats with confidence.
Is Justin Herbert a Top-10 QB Moving Forward? https://t.co/oHHKj4If7X
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 16, 2025
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 3 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Drake Maye, Bo Nix, and Justin Herbert. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 3. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 3 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 3 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Drake Maye, Bo Nix, and Justin Herbert. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 3.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Start? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 3 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 3 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 3 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 3 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Drake Maye, Bo Nix, and Justin Herbert compared to others:
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